Wiley, a senior 189-pound wrestler for the Chesapeake Panthers, had lofty goals in mind before the season began but realistically he expectations weren’t quite as high.

Thursday, March 02, 2000

Wiley, a senior 189-pound wrestler for the Chesapeake Panthers, had lofty goals in mind before the season began but realistically he expectations weren’t quite as high.

With a trip to the Division III state wrestling tournament Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State University, Wiley realized all his goals in one swoop.

"I really just wanted to make it back to the district. I wanted to make it to the state, too, but I knew it was really difficult," said Wiley who lost in the first round of the district last year.

Chesapeake coach Phil Davis agreed with Wiley. Not only is it hard to get to the state meet, but Davis said this year may have been even more difficult.

"Doug did a great job last weekend. There were 16 guys and there wasn’t much difference between any of them," said Davis.

"For a guy who stuck with it for four years, he gets rewarded for a lot of hard work. He deserves what he’s accomplished."

By placing fourth in the Division III district, Wiley earned his first-ever trip to the state wrestling tournament.

Wiley, 32-9 on the season, will go against Gary Wolfe of Oregon Cardinal Stritch Clay who is 29-8.

Wiley is an impressive 32-9, but he never envisioned any number figures before the season.

"I didn’t go into the season with any win total in mind," said Wiley. "It’s was nicer getting 30 wins and keeping my losses in single digits.

"But it’s an honor just to go to the state. To be one of the 16 best in the state is an honor because there are so many good wrestlers."

Getting to the state wasn’t easy for Wiley during the district.

Wiley beat Matt Browning of Crooksville 14-6 in his first match, but was pinned by Dusty Sanna of Granville in his second match.

Wiley rebounded to pin David Keglemeiher of Columbus Academy and then posted a decisive decision over George Padgelek of Martins Ferry, 11-3.

Wiley beat B. J. Springer of Licking Heights 9-2 to earn at least a fourth place finish. He had to wrestle Sanna a second time and was pinned, but he had already earned his trip to the state.

"The round before the place round, it was the first time I was nervous all year," said Wiley. "I hadn’t been nervous since my freshman year. After I won (over Springer) I was relieved. I knew the next match didn’t mean anything. I’d had lost to (Sanna) before, so now there was no pressure." Davis pointed toward the offseason work by Wiley as a key to his success.

"He won three matches as a freshman when we had a really good team. But he hung in there and kept improving. He really hit the weights hard between his sophomore and senior years. He’s a lot stronger," said Davis.

Wiley isn’t new to success. He was a starter the past two years for the Panthers in football as they won Ohio Valley Conference titles and reached the playoffs each season.

"Football might have made me a little stronger, but I probably used a lot of wrestling moves in football," Wiley said with a laugh.

In track, he high jumps and throws the shot put.

"That’s a strange combination, but it kind of shows what type of an athlete he is," said Davis.

But Wiley knows that the atmosphere at the state wrestling meet will be different than anything he has experienced.

"I feel I got a good draw, but everybody up there is good. No one is going to lay down," said Wiley. "It would have been nice to have gone last year to see the atmosphere. There are a lot of distractions. I’ve never wrestled before that many people and there being so much riding on it."

Here are the pairings for the state tournament:

189 lbs.: D.J. Grewell, Newcomerstown, Jr., 38-2 vs. Nathan Cordes, Liberty Center, Sr., 31-8; Brandon Newsome, New Lebanon Dixie, Sr., 34-7 vs. Tom Kekelis, Cle. Cuyahoga Hts., Sr., 36-6; Jordan Spore, Cin. Wyoming, Sr., 34-6 vs. Carl Way, W. Salem Northwestern, Jr., 42-5; Doug Wiley, Chesapeake, Sr., 32-9 vs. Gary Wolfe, Oregon Cardinal Stritch, Sr., 29-8; Jon Asbury, W. Milton Milton-Union, Jr., 39-2 vs. Jason Shultzman, Apple Creek Waynedale, Jr., 26-8; Dusty Sanna, Granville, Sr., 25-1 vs. Josh Riedy, Sand. St. Mary C. C., Sr., 26-13; Justin Wells, Sarahsville Shenandoah, Sr., 39-6 vs. Phil Rospert, Norwalk St. Paul, Sr., 33-7; Travis Clark, McComb, Jr., 32-4 vs. Mike Tetzel, Doylestown Chippewa, Sr., 35-5.